


electric feel

by starsails



Category: TOMORROW X TOGETHER | TXT (Korea Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, Choi Soobin-Centric, Dreamwalking, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Fluff, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Quirks, Slow Burn, Superpower!AU, Superpowers, lapslock, whatever you wanna call it, yeonjun angry boy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-21
Updated: 2021-01-30
Packaged: 2021-03-02 17:00:09
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,412
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24310198
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starsails/pseuds/starsails
Summary: choi soobin has always played it safe, until he runs into the well known delinquents that are the talk of the town.or: soobin has a quirk in a society where quirks are supposed to be repressed, and a group of 3 boys teach him to send the city a message. news flash, it's through masked crime.
Relationships: Choi Beomgyu/Kang Taehyun, Choi Soobin & Huening Kai, Choi Soobin/Choi Yeonjun
Comments: 12
Kudos: 71





	1. blue boy

**Author's Note:**

  * For [yeonjunsinterlude](https://archiveofourown.org/users/yeonjunsinterlude/gifts).



> hi!  
> this is my first ever work published on ao3. it was honestly just a random thought i had and i decided to actually write it lol 
> 
> lets get this bread

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> soobin's attention is caught by those two words, masked crime, and his thoughts are immediately drawn back to the strange blue boy. it was unlike anything he's ever seen or imagined before, in a mask and sprinting down the sidewalk like a madman, bumping into innocent boys with mint chocolate ice creams.

choi soobin likes routine. it makes life easy, the same thing over and over again. no need for change, no need for adaptation. no need to stand out, just to blend in. fit in.

as he strolls down the smooth sidewalk, hands tucked into the pockets of his uniform shorts and black jansport backpack perched high on his back, he does it with ease. it's routine, a friday afternoon, the sun shining a bright beautiful gold over the soft brown over his hair. his fingers play with the crisp bill that sits folded in his pocket, and he tugs open the door to his favorite ice cream place with a contented sigh. the same way he does every other friday afterschool.

he's a regular at this point, and it's emphasized by the way the cashier greets him by name the second he walks in, which he returns with an enthusiastic wave. a girl named mina is on register today; soobin has been acquainted with her from many previous visits, and she immediately leans over the counter with a sweet smile when he strolls up. the store is empty, hence why mina shamelessly gives soobin all her attention as he pulls out the bill and runs it in between his fingers. 

"hey, dimples. where's your friend?" soobin rolls his eyes with a fond smile as mina begins to scoop him a waffle cone of mint chocolate ice cream. she already knows his order, having stayed the same ever since he's started coming to this place freshman year, as his high school was a simple short walk away.

"kai has tutoring today, since midterms are coming up. you know he sucks at physics." 

she snorts, handing soobin the cone over the counter after sprinkling a generous handful of chocolate sprinkles overtop the cone. "yeah he's only mentioned it to me like, five-bajillion times." mina drawls, drawing a giggle out of the brunette boy. "tell him to study hard so he can hurry back, okay?"

soobin nods with a playful salute. "i'll tell him the cute ice cream lady is waiting for him, don't worry." 

mina scoffs, tossing her fire-orange hair over her shoulder dramatically. "it's by a few months, dimples. don't push it." soobin laughs at this, and throws mina a wink before reassuring her, "i'll remind him of your crush." 

mina groans in annoyance before, setting her hand to her temple before looking at soobin with pleading eyes. " i thought we agreed not to talk about that," mina whines. 

soobin licks at his ice cream thoughtfully, the sweet treat already slightly melting, drippy onto his hand. "i said i'd think about it," he reminds her. 

mina glares. "you're a menace," she deadpans. 

soobin sends her a cheeky wink before leaving the shop, smiling cheeks a dusty rose and fingers sticky with mint ice cream. he considers going to the park to sit and eat it, he really does like this weather. but the scenic route to his house would also give him plenty of time too, winding through the beautiful trees and flower bushes which bloom at this time of the year. 

soobin steps out of the doorway when a solid force suddenly comes hurtling straight into his side, and everything seems to move in slow motion from there. soobin blinks and before he knows it he's sprawled on the concrete, head throbbing and frozen treat smeared down the front of his expensive uniform. his first thought is , oh my god how am i gonna get that stain out? and it's only then that he realizes that something just crashed into him, and scrambles up to help the person. 

a few feet away from him, a blue haired boy is in a similarly disoriented state, with ice cream smeared down the front of an expensive looking sweatshirt as well. bingo.

soobin quickly runs over to the boy, reaches over to shake him by the shoulders to see if he's okay, but a gasp is drawn from him when the boy quickly sits up. he almost bumps soobin's chin with his head, and hastily reaches for something which has skidded away from him during the collision. it's a mask?

soobin recoils when the boy glares at him with cold brown eyes before slipping the mask over his face hastily. scrambling to stand, he doesn't offer the boy a hand this time, instead backing away. he looks suspicious, why would someone wear a mask in the middle of the day? especially with the increase in masked crime, joking around with masks wasn't something soobin would dare do. 

two flashes shoot past soobin, and one of them tugs the boy along roughly. he can't catch a good look at either of the other's faces, but one of them calls a rough,"hurry up!" this seems to send the blue haired boy into a flurry of motion, and he mutters a raspy ,"watch it, next time" before he's sprinting back down the sidewalk after the two figures.

soobin is left gaping on the sidewalk, a sticky hand coming up to massage his throbbing head. whether it throbs out of annoyance or the onslaught of a possible concussion, soobin isn't quite sure at this point. the boy bumped into him, and had the audacity to tell him watch it? his goddam ice cream went flying, and he wasn't even halfway through it. 

he's fuming as he runs his hands down the sticky front of his uniform, sighing as he spots his discarded ice cream on the pavement. suddenly, the sun catches on a shiny metal object on the concrete, and soobin squints through the glare before approaching carefully to observe the object. he bends over to pick it up, letting out a small noise of confusion when he realizes it's a small, round drive. the letters gq are scrawled in messy letters, and it's scuffed. it seems the boy dropped it, yet soobin doesn't remember him looking for it when he sat up. maybe he forgot about it?

soobin is startled out of his thoughts when he hears a pair of heavy footsteps turn the corner of the street, right around the ice cream shop and towards him. he hastily tucks the drive in his pocket and stands up quickly, eyes widening when he's met with a police officer. the man looks relatively tense, and gives soobin a strange look as soon as he stands. god, he's forgotten about the ice cream down the front of his shirt. his hair's probably a mess as well.

"rough day, son?" the officer offers, and soobin nods way too enthusiastically, head bobbing a touch too fast. the officer furrows his eyebrows before continuing with a shake of his head. "have you seen anything suspicious around here?"

"nope!" soobin is quick to answer, hand playing with the drive in his pocket. gq, the initials don't ring a bell in his head, and he finds himself fingering over the scuffs on the drive as he considers what it could stand for. 

"-and there's been a lot of masked crime around this area, so we're trying to keep it locked down, i'm sure you've heard of it?"

soobin's attention is caught by those two words, masked crime, and his thoughts are immediately drawn back to the strange blue boy. it was unlike anything he's ever seen or imagined before, in a mask and sprinting down the sidewalk like a madman, bumping into innocent boys with mint chocolate ice creams. 

"you haven't seen anything strange, have you son?" the officer pries, and soobin feels his stomach turn at the words. i don't know, has he? his heart thumps against his chest as the icy haired boy bounces around in his head, and he considers letting it spill. he could let him be reprimanded, after all, it did not appear he was doing anything legal, definitely not, and soobin almost wants him to pay. that cocky demeanor of the boy's has soobin's fists clenching in his pockets, temple pulsing. 

but on the other hand, there was something... innocent in the boy's eyes. soobin almost smiles; the boy was wearing a fox mask for god sake. and he looked familiar somehow, soobin swears he's seen those steely brown eyes somewhere, yet he can't pinpoint it. 

soobin can't explain why he feels the words pour out of his mouth so easily,"no sir, i haven't seen anything strange, sorry." and his stomach does several flips directly after he says it, eyes focused on the officer's reaction. he has to buy it, otherwise soobin's in trouble too. what would that make him, an accomplice? oh god, soobin's never broken the law, never even broke a damn rule at school-

"alright thank you for your cooperation. take care," and the officer just walks away with a curt nod, leaving soobin dumbfounded on the sidewalk. a few passerby's give him odd looks, and he can't blame them. he's sure he looks a spectacle, yet he can't bring himself to care when his heart is still racing and curiosity about the piece of metal in his pocket is eating him alive.

he walks home in record time, and even breaks routine when he doesn't take the scenic route. needless to say, he has to find out what's on that drive. 

//

"god– of course, it has a goddam passcode." soobin angrily shuts his laptop, yanking the drive out and throwing it across the room. he pushes his laptop off his lap and stands up quickly, frustratedly running a hand through his hair. 

this isn't his ideal way of spending a saturday afternoon, but he just can't get that boy out of his head. soobin closes his eyes and sees the fox mask reflected on the back of his eyelids, it's inescapable. he has to know who that boy is, what he was doing, especially because he looked so goddam familiar. 

soobin's head perks up when he hears a vibration, peering over at his phone on the desk. a relieved sigh escapes his lips when he recognizes huening kai's name as the id, and he doesn't hesitate to accept the call.

"soobs! i got your text yesterday, sorry i'm so late to make good on it. i've just been busy all day, you know how it is..."

"it's okay, it's okay," soobin is quick to interrupt, all too eager to share his strange friday afternoon with kai. "it's fine, you're here now, and that's what's important! but god, do i have the weirdest thing to tell you!"

"yeah, what's up?" soobin opens his mouth excitedly to reply, and loud yelling and crashing sounds immediately render him speechless. "one second, lemme just– guys put that down! no don't eat that! soap isn't food! oh my god–" 

oh, soobin realizes. he's babysitting, of course. his rowdy little cousins had come to visit, and at ages two and five, kai absolutely detested being in charge of them. they were an absolute handful.

"god, i never want kids," kai sighs and soobin laughs, shaking his head good-naturedly. it's fun to see kai suffering and all, but he really, really wants to tell kai about the weird occurrence yesterday. 

"do you want me to call back later, kai?" soobin finds slipping off his tongue anyway, even though he pouts when kai relievedly thanks him. after soobin hangs up, he sighs and flops defeatedly back onto his bed. 

now what is he gonna do with a stolen -- oh my god it's stolen isn't it? -- drive? his curiosity has gripped him by the throat at this point. he has to know what that boy what doing, why he was running, who he is. perhaps the answer is in the drive.

curiosity may have killed the cat, but soobin has never been easily deterred.


	2. summer hellfire

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> it's surprising to soobin that he is in control. at least in one aspect of his life he can be the one to steer the ship. it was a luxury he had never been granted. to him, free will was just a spot on the horizon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ever the pessimist soobin is.
> 
> \- a separate note, i know this has talk of protests and overthrow of the government and stuff. pleaseeeee dont take this the wrong way. if talk about that is triggering to to you, don't read. my timing is bad sorry.
> 
> anyway, enjoy!

the first thing soobin registers is the cold metal of the chair under him.

he's strangely aware of his senses, vivid and acute as if it is real life. the next thing he notices is the boy sitting across from him, across the long metal stretch of the table.

he's slumped over the back of the chair, sharp eyes watching soobin's every move. his hair is electric blue.

why is _he_ here? permeating into soobin's deepest state of mind? it feels like a breach of comfort, an invasion of privacy. soobin can't speak, so instead he stands.

the boy doesn't move even when soobin stands behind him, warily waves a hand in front of his eyes. he's like a statue, stone cold and motionless. did the room get colder or is it just him? if he exhales hard enough, he'll surely see his breath, he's sure.

soobin has to suppress a shiver as he slowly nears the blue haired boy. guilt for abusing the circumstances floods his mind, yet it is overcome by curiosity. he doesn't think the boy has even blinked in the paste few minutes.

soobin swallows his fear and approaches the boy, with a tentative, "hello?"

he smells like peppermint and fresh snow. soobin feels a bit creepy that he knows.

fingers outstretched, he touches the boy's shoulder–

and then watches on in horror as his mirror image shatters into a million shards right before his fingertips.

he startles away from the chair when suddenly huening kai is there, in a brief shower of sparkles. always the king of dramatic entrances, kai is.

kai blinks at soobin confusedly. soobin swallows thickly and stares back. he refuses to acknowledge the weird setting and the constipated expression on his face, lest kai ask him to explain or something.

he hadn't told kai about the boy after all. somehow he feels like a secret soobin needs to keep.

"what are you doing?" kai asks with an amused smile. soobin wonders why he isn't commenting on the boy and– oh.

when he looks down the chair is empty, no trace of the boy who had sat prior.

kai says something reaches out for soobin's wrist and the latter simply complies distractedly.

next thing he knows, he's in the passenger of a blue sports car. they're driving down a steep, winding cliff. dreamplane switches, he thinks, are ever the disorienters. it took him a while to curb the bouts of nausea he would get after kai would change the setting so quickly.

soobin peers over his door and looks uneasily at the close steep edge of the cliff. it'd be so easy to swerve and fall off, and the thought scares soobin. he can't clearly see what is at the bottom.

it looks like fire. a road to hell, soobin jokes to himself with a wry smile.

"why are we driving so fast? we're gonna swerve." kai yells over the loud whipping of the wind in their ears.

"slow down, then."soobin replies, head tilted up to enjoy the wind whipping through his hair. the sky is white, empty. it usually is. he never bothers thinking about the sky.

"you're the one in control, soobin. ease off on the pedal so we can enjoy the ride." soobin opens an eye to squint over at kai before his eyes flicker down and he startles.

he is shocked to discover that indeed, the wheel is tight under his fists, foot heavy on the accelerator.

it's surprising to soobin that he is in control. at least in _one_ aspect of his life he can be the one to steer the ship. it was a luxury he had never been granted. to him, free will was just a spot on the horizon.

a lopsided smile graces his face as he accelerates quickly around the next corner – kai yelps and holds onto the dashboard for dear life – before slowing back down into a comfortable cruise.

he ignores the bewildered look kai is sending him, instead glancing around at the scenery. well, lack thereof. they drive in the relaxing comfort of the radio, which kai had turned on, for a few minutes before soobin breaks the silence.

"is it just me or does this place feel..." soobin twists his mouth distastefully, struggling to find a word to fit the feeling. it feels– bare, for a lack of better word. all white and desolate, not a single thought out of place.

"empty?" kai finishes for him. " – dreams tend to feel that way, i guess."

"yeah, but– not when you're here, usually. when you're here my dreams are, like, lucid." soobin's gaze flicks back to kai's wide eyes. "because i know i'm dreaming, or whatever."

kai just looks back ahead with a faraway smile. "maybe its just one of _those_ nights then."

yeah. one of those nights. blue car, blue boy. a long highway down to hellfire. an interrogation room. none of it fit together, and soobin could feel his mind start to jumble as he struggled to piece it together. it felt like doing calculus at ass o'clock in the morning. his brain hurt.

"i think i wanna wake up now..." soobin sighs, and slumps forward onto the steering wheel defeatedly.

"you do that," kai says, patting soobin's shoulder placatingly. "i think i'm gonna check out hanna's dream. i've always wondered what toddlers dream about."

soobin grunts in acknowledgement, forehead pressed on the horn. and kai departs the same way he appeared; a brilliant drop of glitter.

//

with the end of finals comes summer. and with summer comes late night shifts at the rundown 7-11 corner store and afternoons spent at summer school.

to soobin, this translates to lost time that he could have spent hanging out with friends –namely kai – or sleeping.

this sunny sunday afternoon is the last day he has to do whatever he would like to, before summer school picks up the next day.

kai and soobin are lounged on the well groomed grasses of the local park, a blanket under them and popsicles in hand. soobin licks at his favorite flavor, orange creamsicle.

they're chatting about summer plans, to which soobin just listens to kai begrudgingly. he doesn't _have_ summer plans, around his job and annoying summer school.

"remind me again why you aren't coming to summer school with me this year?" soobin scowls, and kai laughs.

"i'm literally broke from all the ice cream we eat, soobin," kai jokes, and soobin barks out a sarcastic laugh. "– kidding, but i really do need to start saving money. it's well overdue that i get a summer job."

soobin pouts, resembling a petulant child throwing a fit. "but we'll barely see each other, with shifts and whatnot..." kai's lip curls affectionately, a cherry popsicle stained smile, and he just nudges soobin's shoulder playfully.

soobin just shrugs sheepishly, and kai shakes his head fondly.

soobin takes another bite of his popsicle and rolls it around his tongue – it's sweet, just like he likes it – and tilts his face up to the sky. spots of sunshine peek through the vibrant green of the trees overhead, leaving patchy groups of sunshine on the grass.

"have you watched the news recently?" kai blurts out suddenly, and soobin's head snaps down to look at kai. his eyes are wide in surprise, yet kai looks oddly nonchalant.

"since when do you watch the news?" soobin raises an eyebrow suspiciously. "i thought you hated the news?"

"ignoring things doesn't make them stop happening," kai says sagely, and soobin extends a hand to mock choking kai. of course kai would turn his own words around at him.

"what changed?"

"nothing much, it's just–" kai pauses, eyes soobin warily, fixes his eyes firmly on the playground at the other end of the park. "have you heard about the series of _occurrences_ that have been happening?"

soobin suspects he knows what kai is talking about, but he doesn't want to believe it. kai is playing it down. a series of occurrences is an understatement.

"by that do you mean the crimes? you know, the ones being committed by criminals."

"no no no– they're not criminals! more like..." kai's eyes sparkle in admiration. "vigilantes!"

soobin gapes at him in disbelief.

"vigilantes," soobin echoes quietly.

"yeah, think about it," kai sits forward excitedly, starry eyed and hopeful looking. his brown hair flops into his eyes, ears tips poking through on the sides of his head. he looks so innocent, so naïve. soobin's heart clenches in sympathy.

"they're getting law enforcement's attention! maybe they'll be able to make a change, you know? maybe quirk usage will be unbanned, finally. just imagine it."

soobin's lip curls downward. kai really is gullible isn't he. doesn't he know it would do the opposite?

"quirks are banned for a reason, kai," soobin says softly. "they put people at risk and– and this will just make the government realize it more. they'll probably end up putting an even stronger ban on it, i think."

kai's brow furrows, and he sits back on his heels. "not if people are protesting like this... people are taking a stand. they can't just ignore it."

kai worries at his lip with his front teeth, and it somehow flushes even redder than it was before. "can they?" he asks softly.

soobin's eyes flash guiltily before he rushes to console kai, clapping an encouraging hand on his shoulder. "hey, you never know," soobin says, offering kai a watery smile, to which kai just shrugs.

soobin knows he messed up, but what could he possibly say to console kai? the boy has always been a dreamer, unrealistic and unmatched in his puppy-like enthusiasm. soobin hated to be the one to rain on kai's parade, but what those... criminals were doing – it was immature and unsafe.

attempting to fight the government on quirk regulations by doing the exact thing they were were banned for was like fighting fire with fire. it was dumb. wreckless, even, and soobin couldn't see it making any kind of change.

backfiring and bringing even harsher regulations upon quirks, maybe. he doesn't want kai to know all his thoughts on it though, he enjoys it when kai is hopeful. maybe it's a little unrealistic, but he believes kai will get it eventually.

for now, he reasons, he'll let him enjoy his innocence. soobin just wants to give kai the chance to enjoy the innocence he never could.

"maybe i would understand better if i actually had a quirk," soobin deadpans, and kai lets out a huffed laugh.

"you'll find your quirk this summer, i promise," kai says, making determined eye contact with soobin. his eyes are so soft and round that soobin just dryly swallows and nods. he doubts it, since being quirkless is a possibility.

it shouldn't be, considering his parents. but soobin has never been one to have good luck anyway.

"yeah, i guess i will find my quirk this summer." and something within him shifts uncomfortably when he says it, but it's firm – resolute. if not for him, then for kai.

soobin knows he said the correct thing, as kai's energy is restored, his usual bubbly expression returned to his face. soobin lets out a relieved breath and sits back again as kai begins to chatter about something random, jumping sporadically from topic to topic every few minutes.

he listens fondly. and soobin just can't help but think about just how much he'll miss afternoons like these this summer.

//

soobin's day had definitely not come off to a good start. it was one of _those_ days, where you missed your alarm, rushed out of the house, and just felt annoyingly off the whole day. he had completely overslept, having stayed up late last night binge-watching some anime.

panic heavy in his chest, he rushes to make it to summer school, only to find out that they had been released early since it was the first day.

and now here he is, wandering town early in the morning, donning a black backpack, pajama pants, and sleep mussed hair. he doesn't want to go back home yet, not since he just left.

he doesn't think he'd be able to sleep again if he tried. instead he saunters by shop windows and peers in, admiring the merchandise.

he is in front of some type of antique store now, not really paying attention as he was drawn to his disheveled refection in the shop's glass.

soobin smoothes his fingers through his hair, patting down the unruly black strands. he'd never set foot outside the house looking like this if he had a say in it. granted, today's circumstances were special, however, is the excuse that he gives himself for the get-up.

on second thought, maybe he should to home and take a really long nap -- so he's rested up for his late night shift tonight–

soobin pauses, hands stilling in his hair and mouth dropping open slightly as he squints into the window. he had caught a glint of something shiny – sparkly, even – within the shop.

his hands absentmindedly come up to press against the glass as he attempts to peer into the shop better. the glass is dusty and grimy, a health hazard, probably. soobin pushes for a better view, vision tunneled on that enticing spark.

then it dawns on him. "i could just...there's literally a freaking door– i could just walk in." _idiot_. he mentally rolls his eyes at himself and enters the shop hurriedly.

his eyes are automatically whizzing desperately around the shop, looking for that _spark_. he traverses around the shop, towards the register where jewelry trees sit on the counter in front.

it would have to be there. soobin swears he saw gold. he starts from the utmost left of the case, and picks his way through the pieces. none of them are as eye catching as what he had glimpsed through the window.

he is close to asking to be assisted when he turns his head and there it is. the necklace is unmistakable, on its own little stand, as if a sword on a pedestal, waiting for him.

he starts toward it when a head of ash blonde hair steps in front of him. soobin's brain takes a few seconds to catch up with him, surprised by the sudden intrusion. he hadn't payed attention to the surrounding shop.

he blinks surreptitiously before tentatively tapping the boy on the shoulder. _it should be fine. i just need to get this and ill be on my way._

he clears his throat and prepares what to say to the boy. when he turns around, soobin's mouth goes dry.

the boy is shorter than soobin, with the face of an angel and the wide eyes of a puppy. he's got the thin gold chain of the necklace cradled between his two pale hands, and for a second, soobin even feels bad to ask. this boy looks like he was carved from marble by the gods. it would be like taking candy from a child. soobin mentally subs him angel.

"...yes?" angel says. his voice is deep and smooth, and soobin feels his resolve weaken slightly. on second thought maybe he doesn't want the necklace that bad.

soobin clears his throat a few times. suddenly he has cottonmouth. angel is giving him a weird look now, foot tapping impatiently as if soobin is wasting his time.

"that necklace caught your eye too, huh." soobin begins. both of their eyes go to the gold, except angel has shifted it up, and emerald pendant at the end of the necklace.

 _huh_.

soobin hadn't noticed. the pendant is practically glowing green. it's enticing, and looking at it, he feels a weird type of... energy, almost.

"uh, yeah. i've been looking for one of these for a while, actually." angel smiles at him, a slight curl of the lips. it's a sweet smile. soobin doesn't have to feel his cheeks to know they're blushing a warm cherry red.

"i just saw it through the window and it just... really enticed me. i can't really explain." soobin says.

angel just nods knowingly, like soobin hadn't just made the weirdest statement. something about that makes soobin's heart flip.

"these necklaces do that. give off the energy, i mean."

what? soobin is sure he makes a noise of confusion because angel boy is backtracking immediately.

"energy because it enhances quirks? this type of emerald does that," angel boy says slowly. "you didn't– you weren't aware?"

but soobin missed the last part of the sentence. _enhances quirks_. that necklace enhances quirks? soobin stares at it with wide eyes, and a million things run through his brain. the question that keeps coming up -- how? how does that tiny charm of emerald enhance a human mutation?

"no," soobin just chokes out instead. he wasn't aware. but he is aware of one thing now. he needs that necklace. a piece of antique store jewelry could be the key to him finding his quirk. it could be life changing, for him. for angel boy, it would just be another piece of jewelry. "but i think i want to buy it."

he says this last part slowly, and he watches as the implications of his words dawn on the other boy. he clutches the necklace in his fist and stands up straighter, eyes narrowed.

"good luck finding one, then." angel boy replies curtly. he moves to walk around soobin to the register, where an old woman is burning some kind of incense and watching the interaction.

"no, no no." soobin stops him with a gentle hand on the arm. "i meant that one."

soobin realizes he made a mistake when he catalogues the look of disgust on angel boy's face. the boy stares down at soobin's hand like someone had splashed dead fish guts onto his sleeve. soobin recoils in fear, and the boy shakes soobin's hand off him like it's the most disgusting piece of scum on the planet.

"don't touch me," he spits. "this is mine now, get your fucking own."

the boy looks livid. scary. if soobin had seen this face earlier, he would have picked a more fitting adjective for the boy. he looked more like a demon now, like he terrorized kids' dreams with pointy fangs, a horn, and a spiky red tail.

"calm down... i didn't grab you or anything." soobin says meekly, shrinking back into his skin when the boy whirls around once more to shove his pointed finger in soobin's face. it's embarrassing, he thinks, to have this short little stranger yelling in his face as a crazy old lady watches on in amusement.

"sure you didn't," the boy begins, eyes blazing. " i really hate entitled brats like you."

 _entitled? brat?_ soobin fists his hands and exhales a shaky breath. he's not going to get angry. he's not going to get angry, he's not going to get angry. he's not–

"don't act like you know anything about me!" soobin shoots back , reveling in the way the other boy grinds his teeth.

"choi beomgyu!"

both boys pause to turn in the direction of the voice. the old woman at the register has spoken. she shoots them a gummy smile from where her face rests between two wrinkled hands, a magazine under her elbows.

"why are you always getting into fights when i see you?" the woman scolds.

angel boy– _beomgyu_ , soobin now knows – toes embarrassedly at the floor.

"sorry ahjumma..." beomgyu mumbles, the old woman tsking at his antics.

"come pay for that and be on your way." the woman takes the money he offers sheepishly, mussing his hair affectionately afterwards. "your mother probably needs your help at home. around the house and whatnot."

soobin realizes that he's staring dumbfoundedly and shuts his mouth, tucking his hanging hands into his pockets. angel boy – more like _devil_ – is named beomgyu. it's almost fitting, soobin thinks.

he watches in defeat as beomgyu shoves the necklace finitely into his pocket before sauntering out of the store. his nonchalant, slouching gait and his smirk just about do it for soobin. he hates that he can't take his eyes off of beomgyu as he walks away though. something about his infuriating aura...

"asshole," soobin mutters under his breath.

"eh. are you just going to stand there or are you going to buy something?"

soobin startles when he is reminded of the old woman's presence. and when he turns around she wears an easy grin, old eyes crinkled at the corners from decades of smiling.

he gives a sheepish bow.

"sorry ahjumma." _he walked off with something valuable to me._

//

first shifts always feel never-ending. like a long stretch of hours where soobin goes through the same droning process. luckily, since he's worked at 7-11 for the past few summers, he doesn't have to endure orientation.

but it's slow today, so he alternates between lazily sweeping the floor, helping the occasional customer, and drawing on the back of receipt paper. he watched some anime on his phone earlier, and found out how to open your third eye on youtube. he'll have to try that later.

soobin pauses his humming, groaning as he places the heavy box on the ground.

crouching in front of the nearly empty shelf, he starts pulling out chip bags, placing them meticulously onto the shelf.

"welcome in," he calls enthusiastically when the ding of the door's bell goes off. one of today's few customers.

there's no reply, and soobin just shrugs to himself. some customers were rude and stuck up. he'd long gotten used to it. but it's when absolute silence comes from the front of the store that soobin gets a weird feeling in his chest. no footsteps, no rustling of items, nothing.

"maybe it's chenle?" soobin mumbles to himself. the boy had only left for lunch about ten minutes prior though, and soobin doubts he'd be back this early.

he completes the rest of the box in record time, picking up the box and hurrying to the front of the store. the box goes clattering to the floor.

hunched over the counter is a hooded figure, shoulders pinched and grey hoodie bloodstained. the figure breathes heavily.

soobin picks up the box hastily, and asks with shaking fingers, "how can i help you?"

the figure doesn't turn around, just grips the counter with white knuckles and bandaged hands.

"gauze?" the voice is raspy, overspent, and deep. definitely a man.

"c-come again?"

"i need gauze," the man says, and its more aggressive this time, sending soobin practically ten feet in the air.

"aisle four..."

the man turns his head slightly over his shoulder the side eye soobin. he still cant catch his face however, hood obscuring any view of his identity.

"would you be a dear and get it for me?"

soobin nods a touch too eagerly, both out of fear and a desire to get the hell away from this scary guy. what if he murdered someone? oh god does that make soobin an accomplice?

he clutches the gauze to his chest fearfully as he hurries back to the desk, impatient to get this guy out of his shop.

he slaps the gauze down on the counter before stumbling around to the other side. "that'll be four dollars," soobin wheezes, pointedly not making eye contact with the man in front of him. it's futile anyway, as the man's head is still bowed.

"do i make you nervous?" the man asks with a smile in his voice.

soobin remains silent. the man just nods and pulls a crumpled twenty out of his pocket. "and a pack of cigarettes, please." soobin sets a pack of marlboro's on the counter warily.

"i'm gonna need to see some id. for the cigarettes."

"ah, i don't have it with me. just don't worry about it too much. i won't snitch on you if that's what your worried about."

soobin's jaw twitches in annoyance. is it really that hard to follow the rules? he can come back for the cigarettes later. unless he's a psycho addict, he'll surely live. soobin forgets he's talking to a bloodstained (potential) murderous maniac for a second, and injects as much annoyance into his tone as he can muster.

"sorry, it doesn't work like that," soobin grits his teeth. "no id? no cigarettes."

"sheeeesh, why you gotta be like that?"

"like. what." soobin growls. he's taken enough bullshit from strangers today, and this man doesn't understand how close he is to reaching over the counter and strangling him, psychopath or not.

"nothing. have a nice day."

"wha-"

distracted by his own anger, soobin hadn't noticed the man pocketing the items. before soobin can even take a step, the man is walking briskly out the door, both the items and the twenty tucked into his pocket.

"oh, hell no. i'm not getting _robbed_ on my first fucking day." and he's out the door.

little did he know that opening that door would open a whole new can of worms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i tried to make this chapter longer! hope u enjoyed :)  
> feel free to leave a comment or a kudos <3


	3. interlude: ice cream dreams

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> but i crumble completely when you cry,  
> it seems like once again you've had to greet me with goodbye

_dear ~~ dad  ~~ voltage,_

_ i thought about what you asked me last night. i don't think i'm scared of the dark anymore. at least not the same way i was when i was little. (i still appreciate you holding my hand in dreams though, please don't stop doing it.) _

_ i'm not scared of the dark itself, or even what's in the dark. (because nothing's there, thats what. haha...)  _

_ i'm scared of myself. in the dark i feel isolated, alone. stuck with myself. my skin feels tighter, and my thoughts louder. unescapable. during the daytime, there's always a distraction to keep me out of my head. my books, my friends, my phone, television, food. but at night... _

_ at night it's just me and my mind's demons, and that's scarier than any monster under my bed can ever be. ill try to be strong though, for you. because thats what you wanted for me. or whatever.  _

_ your little boy, _

_ soobin _

_ p.s.  _

_ i still wait for you every friday. _

//

"if you look at the sky for long enough, it looks like it's moving." soobin says. gazes up at the dusky blue sky and the cotton candy clouds. hands tucked under his bottom, he turns away from the window to look the opposing man in the face. 

the man pokes his straw around his milkshake thoughtfully, squinting out the parlor window. "i think its because the sky does move, baby."

"oh... yeah," soobin swings his legs bashfully. "i knew that." his feet can barely touch the floor, only the very tips of his toes. that's closer than last time, he's probably grown. he can't wait to tell his mom.

"are you going to finish your milkshake?" the man asks. soobin is in another universe. eyes watching the clouds almost suspiciously , as if they will shift the second he stops looking.

"hm? oh – no. chocolate hurts my stomach after a while."

"and that's why i always tell you to to order vanilla! you never listen to me, huh..." the man ruffles his hair affectionately, and soobin squeals, unsuccessfully attempting to dodge the attack.

"it takes you longer to drink two milkshakes, though, and it means i get to spend more time with you, daddy."

soobin's dad looks down at him with fond eyes. he's greying hair and aftershave, soft yet sharp. he's what soobin wants to be when he grows up.

"soobin, we have all the time in the world together, you're only five, bunny. heck, a million more years if you want." soobin frowns. that doesn't sound quite right. people don't live for that many years. 

"people don't live for a million years, silly," soobin chastises, and his father just chuckles, like there is something he isn't getting. 

"i'd make it happen if you asked me, bun."

soobin blinks and he's twelve now. he hasn't had his growth spurt yet and he's still one of the smallest in his class. his mother says that he'll catch up, because he looks just like his dad. he doesn't know if she meant that in a good way, but soobin wants to be just like him. so he drinks his milk and eats his vegetables every day.

soobin sits under a tree for hours, avoiding home with dry tear tracks on his cheeks. home only holds hurt now. he despises even looking at it. he hates the way the walls are bare now, the picture frames shattered and the photos shoved away to gather dust in the basement.

he blinks up at the sky through wet, clumping eyelashes. the sky is a dusky pink, and fat clouds laze around the setting sun. they don't look like cotton candy anymore. just lost floating ghosts. or maybe just dumb stupid cotton balls. suddenly soobin wishes he could just blow them away. send them tumblingaway like leaves on a windy day. he wishes he could send the whole sky falling down even. 

every single twinkling star seems to be winking at him, mocking him. and he wants to scream. 

so he does. fingers buried in his scalp, he releases his anger. he screams until he coughs and the sky is dark now. the moon watches him peacefully from the sky. soobin crouches on the ground and dry heaves, his throat feeling like a strip of fire. 

the stars blink overhead and soobin returns it with glistening eyes. the moon is a crescent, thin and beautiful in all it's pale white glory. the clouds have parted perfectly around it. like it was meant to be. like the clouds parted for him.

soobin sniffs and wipes his nose with sticky fingers. 

he hopes his dad is sitting on the moon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i know im trash for this after so long oof .
> 
> on a better note theres a playlist coming? and chapter 4 too! ill try not to disappear again haha
> 
> aaaaand ill link my twitter eventually 
> 
> thanks for reading !! feel free to leave a comment or a kudos :D


	4. one step forward

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "if someone saw you with it – someone important – they're going to assume you know what's on it." the boy speaks slowly, clutching his elbows in each hand as he trembles minutely from the frigid breeze. "and that drive has information that goes against them."
> 
> soobin's brain finally fits the pieces together. "so that would make me–" 
> 
> "–a target." yeonjun finishes it for him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi there!  
> i know its been so long since i've last updated that it probably seems like i abandoned this work. but i didn't.  
> not quite.  
> as EVERYONE knows, covid is raging and with quarantine i've been having a pretty hard time mentally like most other people, and that included a loss of motivation to do the things i love, one of those being writing. on top of that i had really bad writers block and school was so stressful so it became super hard for me to write, and at some point i was simply scared to write because i feared failure. it felt stupid to think about because the worst that could really happen was me writing something i didn't like. but flash forward to now, i have been working on this steadily but surely for a little while, and i finally got that last little burst of motivation to take control of my life again and pursue the things i love!  
> since its been so long my writing style has definitely changed but we have the same plot and the same characters! please enjoy :)

running after a bloodstained stranger in the dead middle of the night with absolutely no self defense skills has to be one of the dumbest things soobin has ever done. apart from that one time he let kai convince him that bees were friendly and soobin stuck his hand inside a beehive. 

but chasing a hooded figure down a dark alley, god this one really takes the cake. its almost like a trap, if he thinks about it. a game of cat and mouse, maybe.

but he doesn't realize it until he's gotten the guy cornered, a slight catch in his breath as he smirks in slick satisfaction. 

"oh nooo," the stranger drawls. "you've caught me!" and his voice is dripping with mirth like sticky honey, smugness oozing from each of the man's pores. then soobin realizes he's the cornered one. he almost laughs, because this feels completely and utterly unreal. how dumb can he be.

the man casually pulls a pocketknife from

his waistband and flicks it out, simultaneously pushing back the black hood obscuring his face, and soobin wants to cry. no way, absolutely no way.

soobin's heart stutters in his chest. because, oh, of course its him. just soobin's luck. the blueberry haired criminal. 

"well? are you just gonna stare or are you gonna repay me for that ice cream stain on my shirt?"

soobin chokes, stepping back anxiously as his fists clench in anticipation for a fight. he wasn't lead here to have a playful chat, of course not. blue boy wanted to toy with him, play games with him, and then probably murder him and dump him in some dirty ditch.

he's got a crazed look on his face, but his eyes are cold and sane. and if soobin knows one thing from theatre, good or not, he can recognize acting. soobin can't bring himself to be relieved though, because he could have anything under his sleeve.

"okay, look," soobin takes a stabilizing breath and straightens his trembling knees. he hopes it makes him look braver, and less like he'd be on the floor with two hits. "you better– you should give the stuff back. i know the police is looking for you, so give it back and we'll be even."

the boy hums and hangs his head, toeing at a stagnant puddle of water with the blunt toe of his boot. soobins fist clench as the blue haired boy pauses for a long moment. suddenly, he laughs incredulously. "god i didnt think you'd be dumb enough to chase me."

soobin scowls, tucking his hands in his pockets. "what did you expect me to do when you decided to rob the store? look the other way and like– pay your expenses or something?"

"since you offered," the boy fakes a tired sigh. "pretty please?" and he peers up at soobin with eyes heavy with rouge eyeshadow and devilish smile played across his lips. 

and  _ god _ is soobin taken aback because–

"aren't you supposed to be groveling right now? begging me not to call the cops, or like– to let you go. something like that yeah?"

the boy gives a nonchalant shrug, hands coming to rest behind his head in what is probably supposed to be a cool guy pose. soobin thinks he looks dumb. "what can i say– i've been told i'm rather shameless." he begins to take slow steps toward soobin, as is he isn't the one who is cornered with a crime being held above his head. "besides, i hold the cards right now. the only escape option you have right now is to run. and darling, i don't think you'd make it very far."

and he's close enough now that soobin can see his adams apple bob when he swallows. the boy smells like trees and sweat, with a light metallic smell of blood. he smells boyish but he also smells like danger. and thats all soobin can think about as the boy takes a closer step towards soobin.

"what are you doing," soobin wheezes, because the blue haired boy is so close now that soobin can see the tiny splatter of freckles across his nose, smell the mint on his breath, count his eyelashes. and that plus the fact that he's millimeters a way from who very well may have introduced himself as a cold, hard, criminal.

the boy grins in a flash of sharp canines, and when he speaks, soobin feels a waft of warm air across his cheek. "you've got something of mine, don't 'cha?" 

the boy hooks a delicate finger in the pocket of soobin's sweater, using his other hand to pat the pocket. it's gentle, so gentle that his hands never touch soobin's body. and soobin squeezes his eyes shut, because yes, like an idiot, he'd brought the fucking drive with him.

but it was only because chenle had promised him that he'd hook it up to his computer after his shift to try to crack it open. see, not total stupidity.

luckily, soobin hadn't been dumb enough to put it in his front pocket, which is why the blue haired boy sighs when his hands emerge empty. 

"will you go now?" soobin sighs, eyes still shut. he feels yeonjun's still body before him, filling the air with a warm presence. "you can – actually, just forget about the items. i'll pay for it, just please get out of here. and i don't know what you're talking about."

the boy steps back with a wary blink and licks his chapped lips. "yes you do, you do know what i'm talking about. the drive. you took– you're the only one that could possibly have it. beomgyu said–"

soobin's mind automatically fills with static. beomgyu? could that possibly have been the rude, demon beomgyu from the antique store? soobin doesn't know of a beomgyu apart from him, but he is reluctant to assume that the boy he had run into was the blue boy's friend.

a siren wails in the distance. well– not so distance. it doesn't sound very far. upon listening closer, it seems to be nearing, in fact. 

"hey," the boy lightly shoves soobin's shoulder with a panicked urgency. "is it in your pants pocket? if you have it just– just give it to me." he's speaking faster now, more frantic, reminding soobin of the first time he'd seen the boy. in a rush, dodging the authorities. "–you don't want it anyway, all that thing will bring is trouble."

the sirens are closer. the drive is in soobin's back pocket. soobin doesn't reach for it. neither does the other.

and closer. the blue haired boy's hands shake soobin's shoulders, and soobin remembers he has the pocket knife but he's not using it. did he forget?

the red and blue wailing lights can be seen in the air, and then soobin's being pulled by the wrist out of the alley and down the street. soobin's stumbling along but he doesn't quite feel like he's in his body. 

because its raining, and the moon is out and he talked to someone who is running from the cops with their evidence in his back pocket. and there's a pocketknife in the criminal's pocket.

and then soobin is breathing properly again, inhaling greedy lungfuls of air as rivulets of cold rain pour down his face and the skies thunder. he bends over his knees to quell the diziness, vision still black spotted and world still spinning. had he held his breath again?

"we lost em'."

when he can finally straighten up, the blue haired boy is leaning on the wall next to him, sopping wet from head to toe. his hair, which has turned a dark inky blue from the rain, sticks to his forehead like plaster. his eye makeup is dripping and theres a smudge of red across his cheek and his jacket is parted to show his shirt, soaked to the bone and sticking to his torso. 

but the boy is smiling. positively  _ beaming _ , as if he hadn't just broken probably every rule in the book.

"no, no no– _ you  _ lost them," soobin says. "i'm not a part of this. whatever  _ this  _ is." he gestures between the two of them with a flick of his fingers. did he really just try to imply that soobin was a part of his criminal activities?

the boy hums, lips twisting into a bitter smile. "listen, don't be stupid. you just ran from the cops."

"no i– you  _ made  _ me run from the cops!" soobin glares at the boy with all the venom he could possibly muster with the little energy he has. he's shivering, chilled to the bone, and he barely notices that the other boy is too.

"i didn't make you do anything," the boy growls. "you chose to pick up that thing. and the second you picked up that drive is when you became a part of this. do not. blame. me."

"again with the stupid drive!" soobin shouts, hands gesturing angrily at the boy. "why is it such a big deal? what the  _ fuck  _ is on that drive?!" and then soobin pauses. what  _ is  _ on that drive? this boy was making it such a big deal, but what files could a teenage boy possibly have that could have him running from the law.

well now that he thinks about it... he can't tell if he really wants to know what's on a seemingly illegal drive. then again, his curiosity has been piqued. his hands twitch as he battles internally on whether to pull out the drive and hand it over, or to hold out a little longer. he could hand it over and walk away, right?

"and if i give it to you... you would leave me alone right?"

for a few seconds, all there is in the air is tension and the pitter-patter of heavy rain hitting the pavement.

the boy opens his mouth, then closes it once before actually speaking. "not quite," he says hesitantly. he elaborates when he sees the confused look on soobin's face. "the drive– it may have been laced with some kind of tracker. and on top of that, we don't exactly know who saw you with it. if beomgyu saw you with it, well... anyone could have really."

"so?" soobin urges. "if i give it back that should be it, no?"

"if someone saw you with it – someone important – they're going to assume you know what's on it." the boy speaks slowly, clutching his elbows in each hand as he trembles minutely from the frigid breeze. "and that drive has information that goes against them."

soobin's brain finally fits the pieces together. "so that would make me–" 

"–a target." yeonjun finishes it for him.

☆

soobin nurses a cup of hot water as chenle wraps his jacket around him and calls him an uber. 

"i can't believe you did that dude, that's like, badass, but also super dumb."

soobin blows into the surface of the water just to feel the warm steam wash back up into his face. "it was dumb. i was dumb," he says, glaring playfully when chenle doesn't protest.

chenle had come sprinting down the street calling soobin's name, a black umbrella tight in his fist. the boy had left soobin with an address and the whispers of his name before he was fleeing down the street. yeonjun. his name was yeonjun.

"god, you're going to get sick. can," chenle pauses to squint at his phone. " _ jeffrey  _ drive here any faster?"

"really, chenle, i'm fine," soobin says with a tired smile, hoping to quell his co-worker's worries. really he wasn't. who would be after figuring out they may possibly be a target of powerful greedy capitalists? 

the address yeonjun had given him was now typed into the notes of his phone. he didn'twant to go, but did he really have any other option? the drive was still on his person, and he finds himself wishing he had shoved it at yeonjun before he had run off, in case it really  _ was  _ being tracked. 

"thank god, your uber is here." chenle's voice breaks him out of his reverie. the blonde trades him the cup of now warm water for a hot pack, pulling his jacket tighter around soobin's shoulders even as soobin protests. "i'll be fine without it, its not that cold inside," chenle insists. "and eat something hot when you get home!"

soobin leaves chenle waving in the store with a fleeting smile as he ducks lower and sprints to the car parked just off the sidewalk. 

he pulls open the back door, asking if this car is an uber driven by someone by the name of jeffery. jeffery nods and says he's an uber here for chenle. the car smells like weed.

they drive in silence for a few minutes before soobin can't help but remark, "you don't look like a jeffery, you know."

the man gives a deep chuckle and meets soobin's eyes through the rearview mirror. his eyes are dark and droopy, sleepy, almost. "so i've been told. my friends call me jaehyun."

soobin smiles politely and nods, turning to look at the streetlights passing by. jaehyun gave him a weird vibe, like a "mentally there but not quite" type of thing.

"got caught in the rain?" 

soobin hums in response, glancing over at jaehyun, who is paused at the stoplight and turned around to look at soobin. 

"something like that, yeah," soobin supplies curtly, squinting through the frosted window at the tall brown blob on the other side. he wipes his hand against the window, making out the wooden skeleton of a building. 

he frowns. there hadn't been a building there before. 

"what are they building there?" he mutters under his breath. 

"they're building a gq building. apparently the city funded them so they can provide more jobs and shit."

gq... where had soobin heard that from...

"i feel like it's pointless though," jaehyun  continues,"i mean, none of their studies ever  even get released to the public. and when they do, its always information that we already know. i feel like they're holding shit back, like in the basement or something." jaehyun laughs earnestly, turning his hands around the wheel as he makes a smooth left.

then it hits soobin. gq were the letters etched into the drive. was that what it meant? the drive suddenly felt like a weight in his pocket.

"what exactly  is  gq?" soobin asks carefully. jaehyun shoots him an odd look through the rearview mirror.

"gq? gq enterprises," he replies anyway. "a science company or something. there's like– rumors that they test on people and shit, but that's just conspiracy. my friend johnny believes all of it. he's so gullible, i swear."

it felt dangerous to suddenly not be in the dark anymore. gq enterprises and a wanted blue haired boy named yeonjun. a street name in his phone. 

one step forward, two steps back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i hope you liked this :) don't be shy to leave a kudos or comment but please be nice to me haha


End file.
